Blackstock Vineyards, the oldest winery in Georgia, is closing. In an email to customers and winery friends, owner and founder David Harris announced that the Dahlonega winery was shuttering its doors."Exceptionally warm winters and early bug-break" were among the reasons he attributed to the winery's closing. And the rough economy North Georgia has experienced definitely didn't help either.
Harris was a seasoned vintner when he started developing Blackstock in 1994, way before any other award-winning Dahlonega winery ever opened. The winery and vineyard setting were picture perfect. Grape vines are planted on rolling hills for as far as the eyes can see...not quite Napa Valley, but definitely not what the average wine lover expects to see on his first trip to North Georgia.
Blackstock was on D&B's list of places to take family and friends. In fact, the winery was one of the first spots we visited when we began our home-hunting in the Dahlonega area. One of my favorite memories is a Labor Day barbecue at Blackstock where we listened to bluegrass music, drank wine, took in the gorgeous views, and vowed that we wanted to move to the mountains.
Closing of Blackstock is a loss...a loss of jobs for those who worked there, a loss of a dream for its owners, a loss for Georgia's agritourism, and definitely a loss to those who support and love Georgia wines.
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